ABC National Newspaper Round-Up: May 2010

Daily Newspaper Market

The daily national newspaper market was down by 5.6% year on year, but managed a slight 0.2% period on period increase in May.

Not one single title in our analysis was able to boast a year on year increase, although the Quality titles fared better with month on month comparisons.

Quality Daily Titles

In the quality sector, all of the titles posted fairly significant year on year declines, although all five titles enjoyed period on period rises in May.

Despite a substantial 10.5% year on year drop, the Guardian reported the highest period on period percentage increase, up 4% to more than 300,000 copies in total.

The Independent and Financial Times both enjoyed a 3.4% period on period upturn, meanwhile, despite being down over the year – by 4.8% and 2.7% respectively.  The Independent‘s total circulation now sits below 195,000 copies, while the Financial Times falls just short of 400,000 copies.

The Times still boasts a healthy total of more than 515,000 copies after a 1.7% period on period increase, although it suffered a fairly hefty 12.8% year on year fall.

However, the Daily Telegraph witnessed the largest percentage decline of the Quality titles, down 16.5% year on year.  Despite this, the broadsheet remains the most read title in the sector with a total circulation of more than 698,000 copies following a 2.2% period on period rise.

Mid-Market Daily Titles

In the Mid-Market, both titles suffered both year on year and period on period circulation declines.

The Daily Express was down by 7.8% year on year and by 0.3% period on period, leaving it with a total circulation of 664,000 copies.

The Daily Mail, meanwhile, posted a slightly smaller 4.8% year on year drop and a 0.3% period on period fall. However, its circulation remains healthy at around 2.1 million copies.

Popular Daily Titles

None of the titles in the Popular market recorded month on month or year on year increases.

The least affected title was the Daily Star, however, with a small 2.1% year on year dip and a static period on period figure. As a result, the red-top paper’s total sits just below 823,000 copies.

In May, the Daily Record posted a total circulation of 329,000 copies after a 0.7% period on period and 6.3% year on year drop.

The Daily Mirror, meanwhile, was down by just 0.1% period on period but a higher 6.6% year on year.  However, the title is still able to boast a total circulation of more than 1.2 million copies.

The Sun lost 48,000 readers in May after a 1.6% year on year fall.  However, the title only dipped by 0.7% period on period and still claims the highest circulation of the entire Daily Newspaper market with more than 2.9 million copies.

Sunday Newspaper Market

It was a mixed period for the Sunday newspaper market too, with just four titles posting month on month increases in May.

All titles in the Sunday market recorded year on year declines.

Quality Sunday Titles

The Observer enjoyed the highest percentage increase in the sector, up 2.5% period on period.  However, after a significant 16.1% year on year fall, its total stands at 340,000 copies.

The Sunday Telegraph was the only other Quality title to post a period on period rise, up 0.5% to almost 513,000 copies, despite a substantial 17.2% year on year decline.

Meanwhile, the Independent on Sunday was down 2.4% period on period and 2% year on year, taking its total to 164,000 copies.

The Sunday Times also recorded both a period on period and year on year decline, down 1.5% and 6.4%.  However, the title has managed to retain a healthy total of more than 1.1 million copies.

Mid-Market Sunday Titles

The Mail on Sunday now has a circulation of 1.9 million copies after a 3.3% period on period and 7.1% year on year drop.

The Sunday Express, meanwhile, was down 1.1% period on period and 10.7% year on year, taking its total to around 568,000 copies.

Popular Sunday Titles

In the popular sector, the Daily Star Sunday enjoyed a 2.6% period on period uplift, taking its total to 357,000 copies.  The Sunday Mirror also posted a period on period increase, up 2.1% to more than 1.1 million copies, despite suffering a 5.9% year on year decline.

The People, meanwhile, recorded a 0.7% period on period and 9.7% year on year downturn, which leaves it with a total of 526,000 copies.

The News of the World remains the most popular paper in the Sunday sector with a total of 2.9 million copies, even though its circulation fell 1.6% period on period and 2.2% year on year.